Although I love to travel I have always avoided going on a group tour. What if I didn't get the chance to do what I wanted to do? What if the others on the tour were boring or whiney or obnoxious? However, I love Ireland and I love Switchback! And really, could other Switchback fans actually turn out to be boring, whiney, or obnoxious? So this year for the first time I decided to travel down an Irish road with Switchback.
Clearly my fears were groundless. Right from the beginning when meeting my fellow travelers at O'Hare Airport, I knew that this was going to be a fun group of folks to spend a week with.
Our tour guide Mick met us at Dublin Airport. This was Mick's fourth tour with Switchback. As we traveled down those Irish roads, Mick was a fountain of information. He told us not just
about the countryside we were seeing but also about Irish history, Irish sports, tinkers and fairies, complete with pictures and written information. No guide book is needed when you have Mick telling you about Ireland. To quote him, "Gee, Mick, fascinatin' stuff!" And really it was. Would I have known about fairy circles and fairy trees if I had been driving myself around Ireland? I think not.
about the countryside we were seeing but also about Irish history, Irish sports, tinkers and fairies, complete with pictures and written information. No guide book is needed when you have Mick telling you about Ireland. To quote him, "Gee, Mick, fascinatin' stuff!" And really it was. Would I have known about fairy circles and fairy trees if I had been driving myself around Ireland? I think not.
Our tour base this trip was Kinsale, a lovely town in southwest Ireland. Our hotel was right on the harbor with all our rooms overlooking the water. From there we made excursions including a drive to Waterford on a beautiful sunny day (yes, the sun shines in Ireland!), a full day excursion driving through the lovely lonely countryside of the Beara peninsula, and a trip to Blarney to kiss the stone. Because nothing is required on a Switchback tour we were free to be as busy or lazy as we wished. Want to do absolutely everything offered and pack it all in? Go for it! This was my style. Want to stay in town and stroll the streets and shop or relax in the pub with a pint of Guinness and a good whiskey instead? Feel totally free to do so.
Of course no Switchback tour could possibly be complete without some Switchback concerts. We enjoyed three wonderful concerts. The first was in Cobh, a historic coastal town which was the center of emigration for thousands of Irish. The entire tour group was joined by some local Cobh residents for an evening of music. Our second concert was at De Barra's Folk Music Club in Clonakilty, a fascinating pub and performance venue, and a great time was had by all.
We finished the trip with two nights at Cabra Castle, about an hour north of Dublin, with the chance to spend a day and a half exploring the fair city of Dublin.
Cabra Castle was a lovely place full of atmosphere including Oscar, the resident Irish wolfhound. Our last evening concluded with a group dinner which included the prize winners of the yearly limerick contest (I am proud to claim 2nd place!) and a final concert by Switchback.
All too soon we were back at Dublin Airport boarding a plane for Chicago. It truly was a week of good times with excellent food, excellent beer, great whiskey, fabulous music and the camaraderie of new-found friends. I can't wait until next year when our base of operations will be Donegal. Come enjoy the north of Ireland with Switchback and friends.
Michele Shubutowski
Switchback Team (STeam) President
